Sunagakure Lore
History After the Great War between the Kaguya and the Senju alliances, the Kaguya returned to the Badlands with many of their tribes spreading across Wind Country. The Feudal Lord at the time, Reikokuna, a terrifying man and one of the most powerful in the world, admired the Kaguya and greeted them into his lands. It hadn't been long before the Kaguya leaders ascended the ranks of esteem in the eyes of Reikokuna and presented him with a plan. One that would benefit both parties and allow them to leave a mark on the world that could never be ignored. The Daimyo could not give up the prospect of increased power and agreed to fund the project, and with that Sunagakure was founded in the harshness of the desert. But that was just the start, as Reikokuna wanted to make sure he maintained control over his investment. He placed his sole son Osore as the village’s first Kazekage, a great disrespect to the Kaguya that had founded the village with their own blood and sweat. They were shrewd enough to not revolt and instead assembled the council around the Lord-Kage to steer him where they could. ' ' Within a few years, their enemies in Fire Country were working to found their own village, one to match and even surpass Suna. The Feudal Lords of both countries had entered a competition to flaunt their wealth and power. Osore knew the Sand needed to have the strongest military and acknowledged that those who grew up in the desert learnt quicker than anyone how to be strong and resilient. The village focused on almost nothing else, just their warfare capabilities, leaving their investment in infrastructure and trade minimal. People came from far and wide to enlist in their Shinobi ranks, wanting to prove themselves as worthy of being a part of the most feared military in the world. ' ' After fifteen years, children that had been born in the early days of Suna were now amongst the most skilled Shinobi in the world, but the Daimyo and his son were unsatisfied. They wanted Suna to provide the world only the fiercest, most capable fighters, faithful warriors, and so a law was enacted. To the horror of many, any child born that was not thoroughly healthy was to be discarded. The slightest defect would dictate the fate of any child born in Suna. Some fled the village, disgusted by the recent policy, but most stayed. Ultimately, the Sand had interested some of the most savage personalities in the world, and this law did not make them flinch. The warriors required their comrades to be as strong as them on the battlefield. However, this was still not enough for the Daimyo. Reikokuna was slowly being referred to as the Mad Feudal Lord, as his subjects feared his violent outbursts and short temper. Suna was still not the world power that he so wanted. There were civilians that he saw as unworthy of being a part of the Sand; impure and unfit for their military village. He regarded those without the ability to harness Ninjutsu as weak. He informed his son to pass laws to relocate these people to one area of the village and remove any from the Shinobi army. As with the laws that had been passed before, not many batted an eyelid. It became part of the culture. Non-chakra users were turned away from shops, their trades failed, and they descended into deep poverty, living in the streets as victims of discrimination from their neighbours. For the next decade, the distinction continued booming amidst the economy in Suna, as many across the world turned to the village to fulfil missions regardless of the price. Konoha was considered a mockery of society, as they began enlisting Gates users into their ranks. Although they were undoubtedly capable, their technique was unrefined and limited in the opinion of Suna, and so the practise was prohibited in the city. The Sand Shinobi would target Leaf Gates users out in the field, terrorizing them for their inability to use chakra.' ' As time passed, the First Kazekage’s wife Keiko, a Nara refugee, gave birth to a daughter. A beautiful almost perfect child… almost. The girl was born blind in one eye. The milky iris was in stark contrast to her healthy brown eye. The mother panicked, attempting to snatch her child and run, but was stopped. The baby was pulled from her arms as the Daimyo and her husband were summoned. Reikokuna walked in, took one look at the screaming infant, then to his daughter in law and her aides. He did not permit Osore to see his baby. His decision was executed, despite the cries of Keiko that occupied the room. She begged her husband to do something, but he simply walked away. Once she had exhausted herself, the mother pleaded her maid to allow her to remain with the child before the deed was done. The young maid took pity on the mistress who had always been good to her and granted her wish, allowing Keiko to nurse the child just once. The servant underestimated the Nara’s strength and a mother’s love for her child, however, as Keiko executed the servant and escaped, heading to a dull part of the village, still nursing her silent child hidden beneath the cloak. She entered the Seikatsu temple and with a minimal exchange of words, the child was taken from her. She returned to her chambers in tears. When Osore found out what his wife had done, he confided her to their home, vowing to not notify his father, but still removing her freedom. She would never bear him another child. ' ' Osore threw himself into his work, concentrating on building military strategy and strength within his ranks. He taught the young about the Spirit of Wind, about pure respect and dedication to the people of the village, and even more so, respect for all those that fought till their last dying breath for the village and its people. He claimed the spirits of the village’s people lived on in the endless sand dunes. Sunagakure was regarded as an oasis, a gem placed in the centre of a constant changing desert, whose maw ate all those who dared cross. After twelve years, news of a new village to the west of Fire Country reached the Sand. The Aburame had secured funding to establish a village centred on the advancement of technology. This angered the ageing Reikokuna. Suna’s military had been continually growing stronger, but now it was time to unleash them on the world; a move to intimidate any who would stand in their way. Troops were sent out into the neighbouring Desert and Stone countries, hacking down tribes that had no chance of defending themselves against the Sand Shinobi. Konoha, now a thriving village in its own right that had amassed the sole military capable of facing Suna’s, considered the Sand invasion as a provocation and declared war. ' ' The gruelling war extended to five years of countless wasted lives. Children graduated from the academy and died before they could barely wear their headbands. The Hokage could not allow this to go on anymore, as he tasked his scouts in finding where Osore was hiding and conducting his troops from. With his scouts successful, Jarin went and faced his opponent in open battle, where the two strongest shinobi in the world decided the fate of the war with their lives. It lasted two days after which Jarin came out victorious, splitting Osore in two with a Rasengan of such power, most do not believe it to be true. The war was over, but Reikokuna would not concede. His mind had long been swallowed by madness. Defeat was not something he recognized, nor wished to become acquainted with, and he had one last trick up his sleeve. Osore was not their strongest warrior, but another, a Kaguya who carried within him a beast so frightening that even the Suna warriors buckled in fear in sight of him. The nameless Kaguya was sent to Konoha and out from him came Kurama, the Nine-Tails Beast which demolished everything in its path. With the Hokage was still recovering in the Konoha hospital at the time of the attack, he had a team of the best Arumaze perform all they could to regain his strength so he could confront the interloper. It is unknown how he did it, but they both disappeared without a trace, Jarin having made the ultimate sacrifice for his village that had effectively been destroyed. Reikokuna was furious. He had lost his mightiest weapon, his son, and now bore no heir. The war was lost and Konoha was victorious. The loss had brought shame on him that he could not bear. He too disappeared, leaving Suna leaderless and the military in ruins. His cousin Daitan was his closest living relative and became the new Daimyo and was almost as feared as his predecessor. He understood that in order for Suna to recover rapidly, they demanded leadership. He announced a grand tournament in the village, the winner of which would seize the position of Kazekage. The victory landed in the hands of Keiji Kaguya, as the clan was satisfied that they could now hold the reins of the village. ' ' Keiji ruled with an iron fist. Many recognized him as Keiji the Impaler, a nickname given to the Kaguya during his days on the battlefield. People who saw the Kazekage fight spoke about his elegance, swift dedication and grace, as he dealt with all those who dared stand in the way of him and the honour of his people. The council represented all the tribes and people groups of the Sand, made of six various delegates. Along with the Daimyo and the Kazekage, the council’s established members were to be the Kaguya clan and Shirogane family. The Shirogane’s unique puppetry technique proved of substantial use during the first advance into the Forest Country. Their teachings had been passed down through the generations, adopting new talents to pursue the ancient ways of Puppetry. ' ' In the meantime, Suna had neglected business, despite their ability to complete missions still remaining above any other village in the world. The war had ruined their image. Even the most merciless of groups were dismayed by the actions of Reikokuna and his son and were transferring their business to Konoha. Jarin’s actions proving to not have been to no avail. The laws of the past were cast away publicly, making Suna appear more open and welcoming to any who wished to embody the Spirit of Wind. Gates users were actively encouraged to join the village, as the practice had considerably developed, and Keiji could not exclude the power the masters of this art had. However, the discrimination had become such a part of the culture in the village that families still murdered their imperfect babies, as it was seen as a shame or curse on the family to grant them life, and Gates users were often ostericised by their comrades. Suna hadn’t completely changed.' ' '' This discrimination worsened as Suna entered six years of drought: resources ran out, trade was virtually non-existent as the effects of war continued, poverty grew and the village descended in savagery, as it befitted every man for himself. Keiji implemented all he could to remain restoring his military, and in such times survival of the fittest prevails, the weak and imperfect were the first to perish. Many left the Sand, heading for the Leaf and other countries as refugees. When the great rains did ultimately come, the Kazekage knew they had to be prepared. He improved the village’s infrastructure and extended his hand to other countries, striking lucrative trade deals again and trying to prove that Suna had changed. He even established a relationship with Konoha, brokered by Hokage Hitomi. Keiji’s efforts brought about almost three decades. As some form of democracy spread in Suna, it entered a Golden Age. With their economy booming and trade established, many seemed to forget about their ruthless past. The Kazekage was beloved by his people, and he appreciated the village, as he wanted above all else to ensure its prosperity, no matter the cost. ' ' One day a travelling group entered Suna, reporting activities in Baron country that resembled mining. Word reached Keiji, and scouts were sent to confirm the words of the travellers. They returned with wicked smiles; not only were the group telling the truth but had greatly misunderstood what they had witnessed. Tribes in Baron Country had discovered a precious metal beneath the sand in such large quantities; it would take decades to mine it all. Keiji’s eyes widened, for this could secure Suna’s future indefinitely. He approached Daimyo Daitan who agreed, immediately instructing the Kazekage to send out forces and not permit anyone to stand in their way. The invasion of Baron Country began, tribes were wiped out as they were in Stone and Desert years ago, the Suna military more capable than ever. Initially, Konoha did not react. Hitomi had retired over two decades ago and now the Leaf was led by her student Kyou, a shinobi almost as brilliant as his sensei. He believed it was not worth risking his shinobi force for some primitive tribes in Baron, and they needed to defend their own lands and recover from their own troubles. A year later, when the genuine nature of Suna’s invasion came to light, he altered his mind. The precious metal would resolve all of Konoha’s problems too. They could not squander this opportunity, no matter the sacrifice. However, he did not want his legacy to be one of greed, so troops were dispatched under the guise of aiding what was left of the tribes in Baron. Justifying his actions on the fact that Suna was reciting history and would bring darkness to the whole world if they were not halted. The war waged on for thirteen years, relentless and unforgiving, as each side pushed and secured ground to rush to harvest what materials they could before retreating under the attack of the enemy. However, neither side operated any territory for longer than a month or two. Whenever the Village Hidden in the Sand was on the advancing side, their economy was expanded, sustaining their war and allowing the village to prosper. It was transparent this war had not been futile, but it seemed like there would be no end to it in this generation. Category:Lore